Page 34 - RPA Magazine December 2020

32 HEALTH HYPERGLYCAEMIA RAISED BLOOD GLUCOSE NOT THE HIGH YOU WANT As the silly season approaches, frequently reaching for the lolly jar while forgoing regular exercise routines is a common habit. However, extra treats and reduced exercise, among other factors, can lead to a high that you don’t need: high blood glucose levels. This month, Retail Pharmacy Assistants magazine delves into the topic of hyperglycaemia: what it is, how it’s caused and how to manage things when blood glucose levels rise. HBy Margaret Mielczarek. yperglycaemia occurs when a person’s blood glucose level (BGL) is above 15mmol/lt, according to Diabetes Queensland Pharmacist and Credentialled Diabetes Educator Alison Crow. “It can occur in people with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes,” she said. She adds that the triggers for hyperglycaemia include “not having enough insulin or medication to treat diabetes; eating more carbohydrate than your medication or your body can cope with; being sick, stressed or having an infection; being less active; other medications such as corticosteroids; and overtreatment of a hypoglycaemia event”. Accredited Practising Dietitian Dr Alan Barclay, spokesman for Dietitians Australia, says “steroids are a good example” of medications that can cause or contribute to hyperglycaemia. “It gets back to stress hormones,” he said. “There are other medicines as well. So, people with HIV on certain medications, I believe, are at an increased risk. “There are many things that can cause high blood glucose levels, such as infection, so it’s not just food. Stress hormones can raise blood glucose levels, \\\\\\\[so\\\\\\\] any severe moment of stress or anxiety can make the blood glucose levels go up. \\\\\\\[As can\\\\\\\] excessive RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • DEC 2020